Chanel Purchase Experience in Paris

Jan 1

Written By Emily Thaw

When I visited Paris for the first time in late May, my goals were to visit all of the tourist attraction spots that my boyfriend and I were interested in, try out Pierre Herme macarons, eat other French foods, and hopefully purchase Chanel Classic Stud Earrings in size small since I was not able to find them in New York boutiques.

After landing in Charles de Gaulle Airport, we got sim cards for our cell phones and ate breakfast. It was around 8:00 AM in the morning and not many places were open at the time. We decided to go to Trocadero to take photos with the Eiffel Tower in the background and by 9:00 AM, the area was already flooded with tourists. We both had our carry-on luggage with us and we were jetlagged but we still managed to take beautiful photos.

Our check-in time was scheduled for the afternoon so we still had time to stroll around the Trocadero area. We ate at an Italian place for lunch and shortly afterwards, we headed to Pont Alexandre III. By this time, we still had an hour or two to spare before we could check-in. While we were standing on the Pont Alexandre III bridge, I realized that the 51 Avenue Montaigne Chanel boutique was only three minutes away by car.

We entered the boutique with our luggage and the location was not too crowded, compared the 31 Rue Cambon location. I was assisted by a sales associate shortly after entering the boutique; the queue was not too long, which was great. My sales associate presented a lot of earrings for me to choose from and the pair that I was searching for was available at this boutique! After looking at the pair of earrings and deciding which size suited me better, I decided to purchase the small size. I did not want to take too long or browse around too much because I did not want to keep my boyfriend waiting for a long time.

I walked out with the earrings that I have been looking for! The small bag is so adorable!

I asked my sales associate for the detaxe form so that I would be able to get a tax refund from my purchase at the airport. The sales associate will ask for your passport so that they can write your information down. To qualify for a tax refund, the purchase must be over €160 in one store - on the same day. The price on the tag includes tax already. I got around 11.6% back at the airport because I qualified for the detaxe form (purchase exceeded €160 in one store - on the same day).

In June, I booked tickets to go to Paris for the second time with my parents. We left for Paris in mid-July and arrived at Charles de Gaulle airport at 8 AM... again! I followed my airport routine which was to get our bags, get sim cards, and eat breakfast. As usual, the check-in time was scheduled for the afternoon so we had a lot of spare time. My mom and I wanted to stop by the 51 Avenue Montaigne Chanel boutique since I had such a great experience there. Once again, I walked into the Chanel boutique with my luggage and jetlagged appearance!

We had the Classic Flap Bag in medium with the gold hardware in mind because boutiques including New York, raised the price for the medium flap bag the previous winter. I also wanted to take a look at the Lambskin Espadrilles because my size sells out quickly at the boutiques located near me. Upon arrival, we were quickly assisted by a lovely sales associate. She said that I knew exactly what I wanted and she appreciated that.

After looking at the Classic Flap Bag, we finally decided to purchase it. After making the purchase, I asked if I could take a look at the available Lambskin Espadrilles and my sales associate showed me a variety of different colors and materials. On display, there were only the classic black Lambskin and the nude with the black cap. My sales associate took out nude-pink Lambskin Espadrilles and my jaw instantly dropped. I have heard that this color sold out everywhere and that it is no longer listed on the official website; it shocked me that it was available in my size as well!

I tried on the highly coveted size six nude-pink Lambskin Espadrilles and I instantly fell in love with them! The material was much softer than I had imagined and I knew that the quality is well worth the price tag. Although I was looking downwards at my feet to thoroughly decide if I wanted to purchase the shoes, I felt intense stares from at least ten people around me. Girls and guys were bombarding my sales associate with questions about the color of these espadrilles and the availability. She responded that this was the last pair in Paris. I decided on spot to purchase them because I knew that I would not even be able to purchase any color in New York because of my small shoe size, which sells out very quickly.

Once again, I asked my sales associate for the detaxe form, showed her my passport, and paid for the items. Since the purchases exceeded €800, a customs fee would be collected upon arrival in New York. Considering that the prices are a bit lower in Paris than in New York and refunds are given, it was still cheaper to pay for the items and the customs fee rather than to purchase them in New York since the tax is so high.